My Happy Birthday

This year for my birthday (which was on a Sunday this year)  Jared was sweet and took me out Friday night.  Then he surprised me by giving me a pearl necklace.  I was enamored to say the least. :)  The next day, we went to the library as a family where I found lots of fun books on decorating ideas and then we picked up a babysitter and went to the temple and enjoyed a lovely time shopping at Seagull Book and Tape afterwards for Christmas….because let’s face it, I’m a planner!   On the morning of my birthday,  Jared and Christian were very sweet and let me stay in bed all morning reading/looking at books before our 12:30 pm church.  When we got home from church, we hung out for a while and the kids gave me gifts….I told Jared that one of the gifts I wanted from him was a nice photo of him….he has a tendency to act either really cheesy or really bored when I pull out the camera and I think he’s so cute I want to capture his cuteness.  So after a dozen attempts or so, I got a pretty handsome photo of my darling husband.

Isn’t he dashing?!

Then I took a photo of Vivian in her outfit of the day… She just kept making her clothes super messy with food and other things so she ended up just diapered for most of the day….notice the accessories are still in place?  According to her, those are the most important factors of her wardrobe.  It’s pretty ironic considering accessories are the last thing I put on and the first thing I take off when I’m home. These next few photos are not the best of me but I love how you can tell how excited the kids were to watch me open my gifts.

Because Jared doesn’t usually think ahead as far as I do, and my birthday was a Sunday this year so I knew he wouldn’t be able to go shopping that morning, ;) I got myself the original “Part Trap” movie and “Summer Magic” so that he and the kids could wrap them for me I have always loved those two movies and maybe because the have something of that “Cinderella” theme that is present in so many movies that some “fairy godmother” will come along a help you fix what’s wrong in your life…and that maybe you can just fix most of your problems yourself... and I had also picked up a copy of The Lion House Cookbook at “Ladies Night”, on conference Saturday for Jared to give to me (all purchases are an additional 20% off during “Ladies Night”)!  I know I’m an insufferable planner because I love amazing deals on things I wanted anyway!    I know this photo’s not fabulous but I love how happy Vivian looks with all of my gifts.Haha, Christian took this picture of Jared and I because he has a real obsession with taking photos of us kissing…..I have no idea why.  I think he’s a little romantic! This year was the first birthday I’ve ever spent without a family celebration on or near “my day”.  I have generally been blessed to have a delicious meal prepared for my by my mother and sometimes with the help of my sisters or sister-in-law who are all really good cooks.  This year, I was wondering what I should make myself for days and days because I wanted to have something yummy and yet with little or no effort as it was a Sunday this year.  Wonderfully, my sweet friend Julie asked us to dinner and I was delighted to not have to make my own birthday meal.  :)   Julie made an amazing baked tortellini from www.ourbestbites.com as well as a beautiful and delicious chocolate drizzled strawberries and cream pie from the same site.  Sooo good.                    Doesn’t that look delicious?!  Here’s a cute photo of Jared and I.  I love having photos of us (since usually one of us is taking the pictures lately there are very few of both of us…unless their kissing pictures by Christian).  By the way, isn’t her shabby-chic table so fun?

Julie put this giant glob of chocolate on my plate for me to eat and I thought it resembled a dragon nesting on it’s treasure so much that I made her take a photo.  Can you see it?

I had a fabulous birthday and it’s all thanks to my wonderful husband, my beautiful children, my sweet friend Julie and her family, as well as all of the thoughtful facebook messages, and calls I got from friends and family.  Thanks everyone for making my birthday special!